BMW 320 D M Sport vs Audi A4 S line

Relentless

I am stuck between the two.If you had the choice what would you go for?

kildare.17hmr

What year ya lookin at?

Relentless

Looking at 06 on both cars.

r3nu4l

What do you want from the car? Is the A4 petrol or diesel?

Theboinkmaster

id go for the bmw myself

Relentless

A4 is the 2 Litre TDI.Looking for reliability mainly.

martydunf

Vote for the BMW here too

high horse

Go for the BMW if you enjoy driving, go for the Audi if you don't

mailforkev

The A4 will mark you out as someone who likes to follow the herd, whereas the 320d will, oh no wait that doesn't work at all

I'd go for the Beemer, at least it has some proper engineering under the skin and will be far nicer to drive than a boneshaker S-line A4.

Berty

Is spec important?

The Audi S-Line has a slightly better Spec although the M Sport is much more desirable. That previous shape A4 is also a very scumbag appealing car these days. So many of them drive them so the BMW may avoid that image.

I would take the M Sport. Im getting an 3 Series ES so have been looking a lot recently at the spec of them and I previously had an Audi A4 S-Line(Pack 4)

r3nu4l

Relentless, be advised that according to a survey of the users of this forum a while ago the highest number of responders were BMW owners. (I may or may not look for the link later)

This is a very pro-BMW forum. I'm not saying don't go for the BMW but you are less likely to get a truly balanced response but you will get lots of anecdotal responses based on people's experience of the BMW, who may ormay not have ever driven an A4 S-line.

That's NOT to say that the advice you've had already isn't good but 'I'd get the BMW' without any further comment on why they would get the BMW is basically a useless comment.

If you like rear-wheeled drive, then definitely get the BMW - no brainer
Also, as has been said above, the BMW is far less of a bone-shaker than the S-line A4 (unless the BMW has been modified with stiffer suspension and huge rims with run-flats )

However, if you aren't confident driving in snow then steer* clear of the BMW as it won't handle as well as a front-wheel drive in the snow.

Are you concerned about boot space? Fuel consumption? Anything else? Or just FWD vs RWD and one badge versus another?







*pardon the pun

cadaliac

Relentless wrote: »

A4 is the 2 Litre TDI.Looking for reliability mainly.

Well thats a nail in the A4's coffin then.
Search Motors for coments on the 2.0 TDI engine. Its quite shocking to say the least.
BMW will have some failings too, but nothing in the same league as the 2.0 TDI.
From experience, avoid the Audi handeling. (sp). Your palms will sweat from fear when you push the car through a corner. Mid corner bumps really unsettle the car, as opposed to a flat piece of tarmac on Gemran soil (or any other European country for that matter).
I have only ever driven a 320d once ( a while back) so i can't really comment, but it couldn't possibally be worse than the Audi A4.

Relentless

Mainly looking for reliability and decent fuel consumption.I always found the BMW to be fairly plain on the interior but I would get over that.

copacetic

Relentless wrote: »

Mainly looking for reliability and decent fuel consumption.I always found the BMW to be fairly plain on the interior but I would get over that.

Imo having had audis in the past and now a bmw the one place audi wins hands down in the interior. They are just really good at it. The simplicity of the BMW does grow on you though.

Personally I prefer the look of the A4 and the interior. Everything else goes to the BMW.

However if your main concerns are relaibility and fuel consumption maybe you should be looking further afield than either?

Speculator

To be honest, every Tom Dick and Harry and there relations and neighbours owns a BMW. Posts above prove this point.

A BMW was once refered to an Ibiza raver on E were as a Audi was referred to as a refined comfortable drive in the countryside.

For sophistication, reliability and comfort go for the Audi.

copacetic

Speculator wrote: »

To be honest, every Tom Dick and Harry and there relations and neighbours owns a BMW. Posts above prove this point.

A BMW was once refered to an Ibiza raver on E were as a Audi was referred to as a refined comfortable drive in the countryside.

For sophistication, reliability and comfort go for the Audi.

Lol! Both cars are everywhere, but if anything there are more A4s around.

As for the 'sophistication' and 'comfort' I'm guessing you've never been within 10 feet of an sline Audi?

Speculator

copacetic wrote: »

Lol! Both cars are everywhere, but if anything there are more A4s around.

As for the 'sophistication' and 'comfort' I'm guessing you've never been within 10 feet of an sline Audi?

I'm guessing you need to go for an eye test, look up the statistics for yourself

Simple test for the OP take a test drive in both, the Audi will win hands down every time.

nice_guy80

Audi A4, everytime.

search out an SE line 1.9 car from the Uk though with leather, cruise, air con, alloys, bluetooth and whatever else is going
much better ride quality on crappy irish roads, better fuel economy and will save you much hassle with speed bumps and ramps etc

get it chipped up to 135bhp and bobs your uncle

kincaid

go for the BMW, nicer to drive and much more reliable engine than the Audi 2.0ltr

rabbitinlights

Speculator wrote: »

Simple test for the OP take a test drive in both, the Audi will win hands down every time.

That's a ridiculous statement, I've owned both Audi's & BMWs and every Audi I've driven was boring to drive, very safe and predictable but boring as sin, the S-Line A4 I had was so stiff you would think it would be a dream in the corners.....

Once you've owned a rear drive car, it's hard to go back to FWD especially for enjoying a good drive

S.

bazz26

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Audi A4, everytime.

search out an SE line 1.9 car from the Uk though with leather, cruise, air con, alloys, bluetooth and whatever else is going
much better ride quality on crappy irish roads, better fuel economy and will save you much hassle with speed bumps and ramps etc

get it chipped up to 135bhp and bobs your uncle

A bit pointless when the ancient 1.9 TDi sounds like a tractor though. 320d has 163bhp stock and alot more refined with no real need to go down the remap/chip route.

PaulKK

I would get the 320d.

MSport trim is really an advantage, and will be very desirable come resale time.

The BMW will be a better drive and have a better interior than the Sline once it is an MSport.

Both will have about the same economy and cost about the same to run.

I would imagine the 320d would edge the reliability too. Gearboxes and DMFs are causing a lot of trouble on modern VAGs of that vintage so I would avoid the A4 for now.

Also IMO an E90 Msport will look nicer than a B7 sline.

End of the day though drive both and see what you prefer, its your money after all!

Vertakill

If reliability is the key, and a small saloon is the idea.... why are you looking only at 3 series and A4's?

SV

rabbitinlights wrote: »

That's a ridiculous statement, I've owned both Audi's & BMWs and every Audi I've driven was boring to drive, very safe and predictable but boring as sin, the S-Line A4 I had was so stiff you would think it would be a dream in the corners.....

Once you've owned a rear drive car, it's hard to go back to FWD especially for enjoying a good drive

S.

You've just never drove a good FWD car.

samsemtex

Speculator wrote: »

To be honest, every Tom Dick and Harry and there relations and neighbours owns a BMW. Posts above prove this point.

A BMW was once refered to an Ibiza raver on E were as a Audi was referred to as a refined comfortable drive in the countryside.

For sophistication, reliability and comfort go for the Audi.

Haha...what are you on about?! An S-line audi is probably the worlds worst riding car. Appaling over bumpy surfaces and rock hard. As for reliability...you have got to be joking. Audi are by far the worst of the 3 premium German brands. Awful mechanical reliability but good materials in the cabin give the illusion of reliability. Its the same as people who still think VWs are reliable despite the last passat being worse than any Alfa or Renault.

Add to that the fact that the Audi is a nose heavy pig in corners and absolutely no fun to drive I really think this is a no brainer. That generation of Audi is about as reliable as an Alfa 159 and much much worse to drive and less comfortable. Not to mind the fact that the Alfa would look a million times better than either the BMW or the Audi especially in Ti trim. You could have a Alfa 159 Ti 2.4jtdm with 200bhp for a fraction of the price. And while the 159 is probably not as good as the BMW its definitely better than the Audi.

Berty

I had an Audi so I will address my opinion of the main criticisms on this thread.

I had a 1.9 TDi 06 S-Line(Pack 4).

The realiability for me was brilliant. I put the car in for 3 services a year(company car) and it ran like clockword. I didn't falter once.

As for the ride comfort. The seats are comfortable enough and the seating position as per the ergonomics of the dashboard are fine. The actual ride was another thing. I had 17" alloys(S-Line) and over bumps it was pretty bad. Stiffer suspension and all that. I used to tell people that I would prefer to have had my 2005 Passat(old shape) again because it was so comfortable.

The one I had was Pack 4 meaning it was only an exterior S-Line kit so the spec on the interior was pretty bad. Front Electric windows only, no steering wheel controls, no bluetooth, no heated seats, no cruise. Just basic CD, Front elecs, elec mirrors and thats about it.

Im looking forward to ordering my 3 series in November/December. The lad at work has a 318i and the boss up to yesterday had a 320d until it caught fire on the M1 yesterday. :rolleyes:

listermint

SV wrote: »

You've just never drove a good FWD car.

I have - focus st, mmmmm i want it back

bazz26

I'd go with the 320d M Sport too especially in LeMans Blue or Red, think the colour and M Sport exterior kit make a huge difference to the E90 which is uninspiring in standard form imo.

Looking at something like this myself but the exchange rate is crazy at the moment:

http://www.autoquake.com/used-bmw-3-series/320d-m-sport-4dr-diesel-manual/inspid=24328